You Can Heal Your Eczema

If you are suffering from eczema your whole life like me, maybe you have gotten used to the idea that eczema cannot be cured, that it is a hereditary incurable skin disease. Or is it not? You may have heard of people who have been “miraculously” cured from eczema or at least minimised their eczema symptoms, and would like to know how they did it. I must warn you, that a miracle cure for eczema does not exists. Everyone is different, and when treating eczema or any other chronic illness, people should be approached individually. If you stop looking at symptoms and ways how to cover them up, and start focusing on real causes of a disease, maybe you really will start believing in miracles.

I have had atopic eczema literally since I was born. When I was a little girl, eczema was spread all over my body. Even on my face. My skin was itchy, it hurt, I often scratched it so much that it was bleeding, and some kids were bullying me because of it. It was not easy for me at the time. I was insecure and sometimes I felt ugly. “Why me?” I thought often to myself. My eczema improved when I was a teenager, but it never completely disappeared. Sometimes it was better and sometimes it was worse. Over time, I noticed that dirt, dust, low temperatures, dry air, and some pollen were irritating for my skin, but sometimes my eczema worsened without me knowing why. I never thought of looking for a connection to the state of my mind, for example. I did not think that my eczema was getting worse when I was stressed. I also did not see any connection between my eczema and the food I ate or the drinks I consumed, especially alcohol.

During my life, I tried everything I came across. Ointments, creams, baths, healers, all kinds of supplements and herbs, even bioresonance. My eczema had sometimes temporarily improved but never for too long. The only thing that helped at least a little bit were steroid creams. Unfortunately, I did not know how harmful corticosteroids are. I knew that they should not be used long-term and that they should not be used on the face. But say that to a young girl who wants to look pretty and nothing else is working against her eczema.

Today I know that steroids will thin your skin and disrupt its protective barrier. This barrier protects the body from the bacteria and various allergens entering the body, but also prevents moisture from escaping the body. I also know that I have disrupted this barrier by the long-term use of steroid creams and that has weakened my body. Steroids essentially suppress our immune system, and we are more susceptible to infections as a result. The list of side effects is much longer, and symptoms can be even more serious, such as hormonal changes, Cushing’s syndrome, glaucoma, growth retardation in children, etc. A couple of years ago, when my eczema worsened due to long-term extreme stress, I still used a prescribed steroid cream occasionally when I could not bear my skin any longer, but nowadays I would not even come close to it.

You are probably wondering what the state of my eczema is today. As I wrote earlier, a few years ago, my eczema worsened a lot and spread almost all over my body. I also developed other health problems, such as digestive issues, food intolerances, hypothyroidism, my hair started falling out, and I was tired, irritated, and could not sleep. I have not had eczema this bad and in such a bad state since my childhood.

I already know that traditional Western medicine cannot cure eczema. I have been increasingly inclined to alternative solutions for (not only) health problems in recent years, for various reasons. Therefore, I have decided to solve my health problems myself. I read what I could get my hands on, visited countless consultants, therapists and healers, graduated from a nutrition course and started studying another one, tried different diets, from Ayurveda, vegan, paleo to the autoimmune protocol, as well as countless supplements, detox strategies, fasts and all kinds of therapies, e. g. in order to clear various mental blocks.

What finally helped me was a holistic approach combined with EFT therapy. Therefore, I also use this approach when working with my clients. However, everyone is different and what works for me may not work for you. That is why I approach each person individually. We do a detailed analysis of his or her health issues; we closely look for the underlying causes of these problems, and gradually start working on their elimination.

An illness is a signal from our body that something is not right, that something has to change. Therefore, there are basic rules I would recommend to everyone who has a chronic illness, be it eczema, an autoimmune disease, weight issues, or high blood pressure. These rules are:

Drink plenty of clean filtered water every day.

Remove all processed foods from your diet.

For at least for a month try to remove all gluten, sugar, milk and dairy products. If it does not work, you can try an elimination diet (more about it some other time) or get tested for food intolerances. Gluten and milk are some of the most common allergens, but for example, I myself am intolerant to more than 100 different foods. Unfortunately, food intolerance tests are expensive and are not covered by health insurance in the Czech Republic.

Include high-quality probiotics and fermented foods, such as sauerkraut, pickles (fermented vegetables), kombucha, and water or coconut kefir. This way you will support your gut microbiome.

In order to improve my eczema and my other health issues, I was following the Autoimmune Protocol (AIP) since the beginning of 2018. You can read more about AIP in this article. AIP, together with the above-mentioned recommendations and with EFT therapy, has helped me with my eczema the most. Even though I gradually abandon AIP, as it is not a long-term solution, I can say today, that both eczema and all my other health problems have improved tremendously and are still getting better.

However, I would not recommend starting with AIP immediately. It might be too much for someone who has not tried anything like this before and he or she would probably not last for long. AIP is a therapeutic nutritional protocol that is quite restrictive. I would recommend trying out my recommendations above first and see if that helps. You can always go further and try AIP afterwards.

If these changes would not be enough for your health to improve and you would like some help and support, I am here for you. We can together find the real causes of your health or other issues and we will together work on their elimination with the help of an individualized protocol.

In my practice, I follow a holistic approach and the principles of functional medicine and nutrition, as I have a positive personal experience with their effects on my health. I do not look for any shortcuts or temporary solutions; I will not try to sell you any magic products that will surely cure you. I look for the root causes of each person’s problems, the imbalances in his or her body, mental blocks, and behavioural patterns that do not work. We then work together with the aim to improvement of the client’s quality of life, using diet and lifestyle changes, and working on the approach towards yourself and toward others, so you can live a healthier and happier life. You can read more about me, my approach and my coaching here and here.

If you are interested working with me or have any questions about this article, do not hesitate to contact me. I would love to help you and advise you. I can also put together a meal plan for you, if you like, and I will support you on your journey to health.